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Prince announces two new albums: Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum

Story by Jack Foley

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PRINCE has announced not one, but two new studio albums to be released globally via Warner Bros. Records.

The much-anticipated albums are Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum, set to release on September 29, 2014 in the UK.

Art Official Age is a solo album and Plectrumelectrum is by Prince’s new band 3RDEYEGIRL.

Both albums, which are sold separately, are now available for pre-order via digital retailers and from this link.

Early buyers will be able to unlock ‘instant grat’ tracks from each record. The album releases will also be marked by a series of very special events taking place globally, to be confirmed shortly.

2014 has been one of the most exciting years yet for the prodigious musical talent. Together with 3RDEYEGIRL, he rocked UK and European audiences into a frenzy with his sell-out Hit & Run tours, generating some of the most significant critical acclaim of his career so far.

In April, NPG Music Publishing was launched, marking the first time Prince’s vast publishing catalog has been independently controlled and administered in over 20 years.

All of this in addition to headlining and curating the Essence Festival on July 4th in New Orleans and a much talked about appearance on hit TV show New Girl.

Cameron Strang, Warner Bros. Records Chairman & CEO, commented: “Prince is one of just a handful of visionary artists who have truly reshaped and redefined modern music and culture.

“For the past 35 years, he has never stopped evolving, challenging himself, reinventing his sound, and pushing boundaries. In true Prince fashion, he has just given us not one, but two extraordinary albums that express the incredible range and depth of his talent.

“All of us at WBR are immensely proud to be working with Prince to bring this brilliant new music to his legions of fans around the world, and needless to say we are thrilled to be working in partnership with him again.”

Art Official Age is being hailed as a classic Prince album, produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince and Joshua Welton. Sonically, the record is a contemporary concoction of soul, R&B and funk.

Plectrumelectrum is a classic band record, with 3RDEYEGIRL which include Prince, Donna Grantis (guitar), Hannah Ford Welton (drums) and Ida Nielsen (bass). Recorded live and in analog the album is an electrifying funk-rock statement.

Many of the tracks from Plectrumelectrum were performed live on the Hit & Run tours of the UK earlier this year.